


Limelight

by Metalbendrs



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Actors AU, Characters aged up (around 21), Miraculous is a movie, Multi, dark!adrien (kinda), tw: alcohol mention, tw: drug mention
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2017-07-16
Packaged: 2018-11-28 04:14:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11409990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Metalbendrs/pseuds/Metalbendrs
Summary: THE RUMOURS ARE TRUE! Adrien Agreste is set to make his triumphant return to the silver screen 5 years after disappearing from the limelight at the height of his career. The renowned former child star is joined by mysterious newcomer, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. The duo are set to play the titular characters in the adaptation of wildly popular YA novel 'Miraculous'.Adrien Agreste just wants to put his life back together.Marinette Dupain-Cheng is just trying to stop hers from falling apart.aka the actors au that nobody asked for





	1. The burden

Outside the window snowflakes floated lightly to the ground, dancing through the air, falling slowly and reflecting light in a picturesque storybook moment. The winter air seemed to be filled with magic and patrons of the small cafe had turned to marvel at mother natures showmanship, dozens of pairs of eyes glued to the snow as it fell.

Marinette instead chose to stare intently into her mug, the hot black liquid stared back up at her, a mutual distaste for one another.

"Staring at it isn't gonna keep you awake Mari." Alya taunted, snapping Marinette back into reality as Alya pulled off her apron and dramatically fell into the booth seat across from Marinette.

Marinette bit the inside of her lip, furrowed her brows and returned to the heated staring contest with the cup of coffee. From across the way, Alya positioned herself upright, watching nonchalantly as her best friends mind slowly unraveled before her eyes. A typical Tuesday for the pair.

"I _hate_ coffee!" Marinette finally declared, throwing her arms up and leaning her head back against the seat, letting a groan slip between her lips. "Its bitter and gross and the only people who drink it are dead inside!" She mumbled, falling forward and burying her head into her hands.

Alya reached across and placed a loving hand on the back of Marinettes head, then lifted that hand and slapped the back of Maris head playfully. At this Marinette shot up, rubbing the back of her head and finally meeting Alyas gaze.

"For once can you like **not** have an existential crisis in my place of employment? Francois the day manager hates my guts enough and you know I _need_ this job Mari-" Alya pleaded, taking Marinettes hands in her own and rubbing them soothingly, "-so please just chill out."

"There is no chill left in my body Alya-"

"Marinette how long have we been friends?" Alya snapped, raising a brow.

"Too long" Marinette replied, half smiling as she relaxed her tensed shoulders slightly.

"Exactly. I know you. And I also know that you do this all the time when things go wrong. You stress out, you freak out, but then everything _magically_ goes right and you _always_ figure it out." Alya reached across to place one hand on her friends shoulder, shaking her playfully. "You'll figure this one out too Mari, you're too talented to fail now...maybe in a year or so-"

Alya was interrupted by Marinette pulling her hands away, a burst of laughter bubbling between them. Alya always knew how to make her feel like everything was fine, even when she knew it wasn't. And while it wasn't always productive, it was therapeutic for Marinette to know she could always rely on Alya's soothing voice and corny jokes to make her feel as though the world was a cakewalk.

Marinettes eyes panned down to her lap, reaching down she held the piece of paper in shaking hands. Alya watched her sadly.

_**EVICTION NOTICE** _

"I just-" Marinette choked up, eyes welling with tears as she slammed the paper to the table, shaking the cutlery loudly. "I'm so **_sick_** of being a burden on everyone because I'm too crummy of a designer to hold a job for more than 4 months!" Marinette sighed, allowing the tears to slip quietly down her cheeks.

Alya stood, making her way around to sit next to Marinette, embracing her tightly. Marinette shook softly with sobs. It killed Alya to see her this way, sure Marinette whined and freaked out and occasionally worked herself up into tears, but Mari was strong and fierce and Alya hadn't seen her this broken since-

"You are not a burden Marinette. You are my best friend, my sister, and I will do anything it takes to support you, you would do exactly the same for me." Alya pulled Marinette away, holding both of Maris shoulders tightly before continuing, grabbing a napkin to wipe away Maris tears. "Now get yourself together woman! Take _this_ and go relax, Nino will move your stuff in and we can start looking for a job first thing tomorrow morning." Alya retrieved two crumpled $20 bills from the pocket of her apron and placed them into Marinettes hand.

"Alya I can't- these are your tips-" Marinette began, but Alya shushed her.

"Girl I make that in an hour, no man can resist a hot slice of Alya when I turn on the flirtation. Now _please_ go enjoy yourself before Francois pours hot oil into my cleavage for taking up a whole booth during lunch rush." Clipping her apron back around her waist, Alya ushers Marinette out of the booth and towards the door.

"Francois can lick my d-" Marinette begins, rolling her eyes at Alya as her voice is drowned out by the nasally craw of Francois the day manager.

" ** _Cesaire_**! Your break is **_over_**!"

Alya all but pushes Marinette out of the door. Marinette turns to flip her off, teasingly sticking her tongue out. Through the glass of the door Alya shrugs and mouths the word 'sorry' before returning to her frantic waitressing.

* * *

 

The snow had stalled, every so often the lightest of flakes would brush against Mari's head, she made no effort to brush them away, instead allowing them to melt, the cold water sending jolts down her neck. It made her feel a little more alive.

Living in Paris had its perks, the city truly was magical. Despite being swarmed by tourists at every waking moment, a stroll around the Eiffel Tower always had a way of helping Mari clear her mind. And after growing up only walking distance away from the monument, it reminded her of home and nostalgic memories from childhood.

_Everything seemed so much simpler when she was 16._

God, she thought she would be in vogue by now. But here she was, 21, technically homeless, unemployed and with $40 to her name.

How the mighty have fallen.

Finding herself a space among the pigeons and selfie-stick wielding tourists, Marinette sat on a bench, snowflakes collecting in her hair.   
She felt rather sorry for herself right now.

"Excusez-moi-" Marinette lifted her head quickly, locking eyes with a particularly short woman, she appeared in her late 30s, with sleek black hair and striking blue eyes. From the sounds of her voice she was American. The woman was elegant and beautiful, and looked as though she had stepped directly out of a vintage Chanel catalog. "-parlez-vous anglais?", the woman questioned.

"Oui, uh, I mean- Yes I speak English." Marinette responded, smiling nervously toward the woman.

With this the woman swiftly took a seat next to Marinette, warmly gushing over the stitching of her blouse and the fabric of her skirt. Momentarily distracted from her pity party, Marinette happily chatted to the woman about her clothes, complimenting the woman's own ensemble.

"Darling, I just **have** to know where you got this skirt, I absolutely **refuse** to leave this bench until you tell me where you bought it! I will **not** leave Paris without one of my own", The woman took the material between her fingers once again, glancing up at Marinette expectantly.

"Oh! Well- um- Actually, I designed it, and made it. I make all of my own clothes." Marinettes cheeks flushed lightly, suddenly the day didn't seem so gloomy. Perhaps this praise is exactly what she needed after such a shitty day.

"Well then, who do you work for child? I must find them and murder them for plucking you before I arrived in Paris, lucky _sonofabitch_. You, my dear, have something that some people search their entire lives for. You have raw talent missy, and I'm sure you'll go a very long way in this industry." Pulling a cigarette from her purse the woman took a long drawl, looking out towards the tower. She offered one to Marinette, who respectfully declined.

"Actually-", Marinette joined the woman in facing the tower, "I got fired last week".

The woman turned to her, blowing out a puff of smoke and smiling widely with large, straight, white teeth. "Perfect, you will work for me then, you start tomorrow at noon." The woman produced a card and pen from her purse and scribbled onto it an address, handing the card to Marinette before standing. "What is your name darling?".

Marinette held the card in her hands as if it was the most fragile thing she had ever touched in her life. "Marinette, my name is Marinette, friends call me Mari".

"How beautiful, _**Marinette**_. Well Mari, I'm excited to see what you can do. See you tomorrow. Oh- and wear that skirt", The woman smiled warmly once more, turned on her heel and strutted confidently away.

Shocked, flattered, but mainly confused, Alya's words about everything magically going right rang loudly in Marinettes head.

Looking down at the card, Marinette felt as though she had fallen asleep on the bench and waited for a moment to be shaken awake by pigeons, or someone mugging her. When that didn't happen and Marinette was sure she was awake, she read the words on the card.

_** 'Genevieve Pierco' ** _

A scream pierced through the quiet snowy day around the tower, not of terror but of sheer joy, it sent pigeons flying away and tourists turned to face the source.   
A small Parisian girl who was sobbing uncontrollably while simultaneously sliding and slipping as she ran, the largest smile plastered on her face.

* * *

 

Alya Cesaire was a woman of her word. In fact she prided herself on staying loyal and true to her word.   
And Alya Cesaire took bets _**very**_ seriously.

Alya, Nino and Marinette gathered in the small kitchenette of Alya and Nino's apartment, a bottle of expensive red wine simply dubbed 'the celebration wine' was cracked open, already half empty. Marinette took a long sip from her glass, savouring the taste.

"All I'm saying is: have you ever seen Francois and Donald Trump in the same room at the same time? Didn't think so!" Nino tipped his glass towards Marinette, his words slightly slurred.

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Nino that doesn't even make sense", she retorted.

"She's right", Alya jabbed, leaning her head against Ninos shoulder. "I agree with Marinette's theory that he is secretly an evil naked mole rat person who hates love and happiness."

Nino huffed, pouring himself another glass of wine.

"Speaking of theories created by one Marinette Dupain-Cheng, our favourite designer and current in-home French maid-", Alya waggled her brows, Marinette returned her glance with an exaggerated wink. "-Nino and myself owe you $300".

A choking sound came from beside Alya as Nino looked at her wide eyed. An equally confused Marinette raised her brows and braced herself against the bench.

Alya pulled a small black book from her back pocket, flicking through the pages before continuing.

"16 year old Marinette bet 16 year old Alya $200 that Adrien Agreste, the love of her life, would make a tremendous comeback in less than 6 years. Upon a drunken conversation about my love of bets, Nino added $100 that he would not make a comeback." Alya stated, taking a sip from her wine.

"Okay and? Adrien Agreste hasn't even been _seen_ since we were 16-" Nino crossed his arms frustratedly.

"Well it's only been 5 years, and guess who's in Paris right now about to play Chat Noir in the new Miraculous movie!" Alya cheered excitedly, a few drops of wine spilling from her glass onto the floor.

"You seem awfully happy to lose $200". Nino stands, opening his wallet and removing a crisp $100 bill, placing it sadly on the bench.

"It's the first time Mari has ever won a bet against me".

* * *

 

A few too many glasses of wine later and the trio had dragged the pillows and duvets from their beds onto the floor, nestled in a heap, the moonlight filtered through the window. The TV softly illuminated the room in the glow of an old black and white movie on mute.

Alya lay cuddled to her boyfriends side, and Nino softly ran his fingers through Marinettes hair as she lay with her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry you guys can't have loud kinky sex while I'm here", Marinette laughed lightly, relaxed and happy. She had been through so many emotions today, she hadn't expected this sort of joy to come from today when she had woken up to an eviction notice.

"Who says we can't?" Nino jeered, waggling his brows towards Alya.

"Yeah Mari you should probably invest in some noise cancelling headphones", Alya added, joining Nino in the obnoxious eyebrow raising.

"You two are the most foul, vile, **_disgusting_** people on earth-" Marinette laughed, her eyelids drooping.

"You wound me". Nino pulls the duvet higher over Mari, smiling softly.

"Love you too Mari", Alya chimes, leaning across Nino's chest to place a slobbery kiss on Marinettes forehead.

Warm, safe and loved, Marinette felt herself drifting to sleep surrounded by her closest friends in the world, now with $340 to her name, a new job filled with possibilities,

but it was Marinette's final unconscious thought before she succumbed to sleep that sent goose flesh down her arms.

Somewhere in this city, in _her_  city, Adrien Agreste, the childhood crush who she was convinced to have been in love with, was there. Marinette wasn't sure why after all these years even his name alone sent shivers down her back. It was dumb, it was childish. 

_Its just a schoolgirl crush._


	2. The morning person

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette google search only leaves her with more questions, and her new job seems too good to be true.

Marinette had never been a morning person. In her school days she was consistently late. She was constantly the subject of Ms. Mendeleiev's famed angry glares, _she wondered if Alya had kept count of those_ , and still shivered when she recounted the memories of them. Most often the day she had come floundering through the science room door and swore Mendeleiev and her damn death stare had pinned her to wall, and, for just a split second, Marinette thought she may have actually peed her pants. 

  
After graduation she was never able to shake the habit, damned if she didn't try though. Marinette had even asked her mama to buy her extra alarm clocks when she moved to her first apartment. Her earlier employers seethed when she was late, and despite her impeccable work she was always just too much of a hassle. It was never really her fault, she just loved to sleep through her alarm. Her **6** alarms.

She had it under control now, don't get her wrong she still absolutely _loathed_ the act of waking up. She hated being awake, being spoken too and speaking too anyone before 10am or a good cup of tea.  
_Coffee was for people who hated themselves enough to drink coffee_.  
Her alarms actually woke her up now. She _was_ less stressed, and _she_ did sleep more soundly. Okay so admittedly life was just a _little_ better once she started taking care of her sleeping pattern.  
But mornings still sucked ass.

_This morning wasn't that bad._

She had waken up, refreshed and happy, at 9am. The sun was out and the sky was cloudy but blue between the cracks. She felt renewed, she felt pretty, her skin felt hydrated.

With a groan Alya tossed beside her. Breathing loudly as she peeled herself away from Marinette and flipped onto her other side.

Okay scratch that last one, it was just Alya's drool on her face.

After pulling herself from the warmth of the bed, Mari stood under the steaming hot water of her shower, not moving a muscle. She simply let the water pulse over her face and hair and run down her body.  
Marinette hadn't felt this invigorated in a very long time.

Dressing and doing her makeup felt less like a chore than it usually did, and more like an indulgence.  
Making breakfast was actually fun, and she didn't burn a single thing.  
Even the smell of the pot of coffee Nino had left behind didn't bother her the tiniest bit. This was a good morning.

_She could get used to this._

After cleaning up, Marinette found herself with some time to spare, a luxury she usually didn't have in the mornings. She tucked her legs up onto the couch and pulled out her phone, letting her curiosity get the best of her as she opened google.

 _**Chat Noir Adrien Agreste** _  
_Loading..._  
Loading...  
_ Your search returned 1 result  _  
**Miraculous Dreamcast!!!!**

_-Posted 4 years ago_

"What the hell?", Marinette muttered to herself, quickly opening the search bar again.

 ** _Miraculous Movie_**  
_Loading..._  
Your search returned 4,009 results   
' **Miraculous' Movie confirmed!  
'Miraculous' on the big screen  
10 reasons we're shook about the upcoming Miraculous movie  
****Who will play heroes Ladybug and Chat Noir in new Miraculous feature film?**

_While there are hundreds of actors and actresses rumoured to have snatched the coveted roles of heroes Ladybug and Chat Noir in the newly announced feature film, which begins filming this year, there has been no confirmation on any cast for the film. The entire project has been kept under wraps and little to no information is known.  
Despite this, speculations persist._

_The film will be based on 2016 novel 'Miraculous', which follows the lives of Parisian heroes Ladybug and Chat Noir as they fight villainous creatures known as 'akuma' and attempt to maintain peace in both their professional and their alter ego's lives._  
The series which currently spans 3 books has quickly become a pop culture phenomenon the likes of 'The Hunger Games' and '50 shades of Grey'.  
With a fourth instalment set to be released in less than a month and a fifth and final book to be released sometime next year, the series continues to grow in popularity, and high expectations are in place for the series' film adaptation.

_Many believe that the film is setting the foundations of an entire Miraculous cinematic universe, with origin story character films to be expected from the heroes, mirroring universes such as the X-Men timelines, the MCU and the newly expanding DC universe. But little is known about the film or its production, leading many to believe that the movie will be a standalone superhero film._

_Amongst all of the rumours surrounding the casting of Miraculous, there have been a few which intrigued us here enough to share with you._

_**Chloe Bourgeois as Ladybug** _

"Ew-", Marinette scrunched her nose. Chloe Bourgeois was a schoolmate, she, Alya Nino and Marinette had all known each other a long time, way before Chloe rose to A-lister status and was just the local snotty rich kid.  
She had always been stuck up and arrogant, a real pain in everyone's ass. Nobody more so than Marinette, who was constantly on the receiving end of Chloe's taunting and pranks.

Chloe Bourgeois was a _known_ diva, and she always had been.

Marinette skimmed the rest of the article, and once she was finished she found herself more confused than she had been when she started.

There was no mention or trace of Adrien Agreste anywhere since before he disappeared from the spotlight.

What the hell was Alya doing?

* * *

 

When Alya finally woke it was nearly 11, and the butterflies had finally started to flutter around Marinette's stomach, so much so that by the time she said goodbye to Alya and collected herself she had completely forgotten to ask about Adrien Agreste.

Despite leaving the apartment on shaky feet and full of nerves, Mari had very little trouble finding Genevieve's office. It was right in the heart of the fashion district, between two high end fabric stores, from the outside it appeared sleek and black but inside it was homey, the walls were adorned with string lights that cast a warm glow throughout the building and everyone in it. The employees were all kind and smiled widely and spoke happily to one another.

_People seemed happy here._

The whole building smelt of incense, and at times it grew a tad overpowering. Marinette found she didn't mind too much.

When she entered Genevieve's private office, Marinette found herself welcomed in a tight hug and toothy smile.

"Marinette! _Mari_! You are perfectly punctual _and_ wearing the skirt-" Genevieve made her way to her desk, sitting in the large leather chair. It was worn and old, but looked so comfortable. Everything here looked comfortable. "-I'm so excited to have you here darling, I hope you don't mind that I did a quick google search on you." Genevieve smiled again, before resting her glasses on the bridge of her nose.

Marinette sat in the chair across from her, it was fluffy and she sunk slightly. It smelled like her mamas perfume. And she was right, all the chairs in here _were_ super comfortable.

"You were surprisingly easy to find Marinette Dupain-Cheng, I like that. I found a few pieces from an old blog of yours that I loved, I also found a few editorial pieces you have done, some costume work...", Genevieve lifted her eyes to meet with Marinettes, "I'm impressed Miss Dupain-Cheng, you have a strong aesthetic and style, it's fresh, it's marketable. Better yet, you are trusting. I mean, a stranger offers you a job at the Eiffel Tower and you actually show up alone? Gutsy, daring, bold, you my lovely are the perfect new member of my team".

The rest of the day flew by in a whirlwind, Marinette was introduced to the rest of Genevieve's design team, who were all busy working on individual projects, but happy to meet a new face.

It felt less like a job and more like a sorority.

Genevieve had asked her to make her a skirt, and Marinette was happy to oblige. In the sewing room music blared from the speakers, the designers would laugh and dance and happily sing along, and would all taunt the Spotify ads in mock accents.

After an hour or so Genevieve's assistant came in, Mari half expected her to tell them to turn off the music. Instead she asked if anyone wanted coffee. Marinette ordered a tea and when she tried to give the assistant money, she was turned away with a cry of "don't be ridiculous!".

Genevieve loved the skirt, the other designers cheered when she tried it on. Marinette smiled and proudly explained her choice of stitching and fabric. One designer even took notes while she spoke.

This was the kind of job Marinette had only ever dreamed about, and she was so damn happy. Things were finally going right.

When home time approached, the designers slowly packed up and filtered out, leaving with hugs and promises of 'see you tomorrow!'. One by one they trickled out until the incense was all burnt out and the string lights seemed a little tacky to Marinette, who was the last designer remaining as she put the final touches on Genevieve's skirt.

"Not so magical once everyone leaves, is it dear?", Marinette almost jumped out of her skin before quickly turning to face Genevieve, who stood in the doorway, glasses perched in her hair.

"It loses its shine a little bit I suppose..."

"That's because all of this-", Genevieve gestured to the building around them, "-is a **_facade_**. There's nothing magical or special about a building or a place. It's the people there that makes it come alive. _We make our own magic_."

Marinette handed Genevieve the skirt, nodding lightly.

"Thank you Ms Pierco, for everything. It really is an honour to work for you-"

"Please never call me Ms Pierco again darling", Genevieve laughed, "Genevieve is fine, Gene if you'd like, but I _don't_ recommend. And think of it as a favour, Marinette. I mean if you continue to work like this-" Genevieve gestured to the skirt in her hands, "-the favour will be repaid in no time at all."

"I hope I can make you proud, Genevieve." Marinette smiled, pulling her bag over her shoulder.

"I'm sure you will. Now go home and rest, I need you here at 9:30 sharp. We've just been given an extraordinary opportunity."

* * *

 

Extraordinary didn't begin to explain it.  
**_Monumental_**? Possibly.

Marinette could feel herself restraining a scream, her whole body flushed red, her eyes even teared up a tad.

Here, in Genevieve's office, sat Adrien Agreste.

And he was smiling at her.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm actually enjoying writing this hahahahaha yus
> 
> Tumblr: @Metalbendrs


	3. The hot mess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette learns how to relax in a stressful situation

"I'm giving you a lift to work"

To anyone else this would just be a simple gesture of kindness, but in Alya-speak it meant something more along the lines of:

"I am Paris' prime source of gossip and I must sleuth further into Marinette's new job".

Marinette had learnt by now that there was no use in fighting Alya, when she wanted something she would stop at nothing to get it, and Alya has far too much dirt on her to risk any chance of blackmail.

So Marinette accepted the ride, and sat happily in Alya's piece of crap, phone hooked up to the AUX as she scrolled through her Spotify playlists.

"Put on some Beyoncé".

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Who is the DJ here? Not you. Let me decide in peace woman." Humming to herself she scrolled through the playlist Alya had made for her. Alya said it was full of 'the classics', which was basically a lot of Beyoncé and 90s and early 2000s R&B. If it was up to Marinette they'd be listening to showtunes, but there were some tolerable bops on the 'ALYA APPROVED' playlist.

_'You are my fire-'_

Alya gasped, slamming a hand against the steering wheel, a grin plastered on her face as she turned to face Marinette for a second before returning to watching the road ahead of her.

After an excruciating session of Alya's painful sober karaoke, to which she put her absolute heart and soul into a rendition of 'Man in the Mirror', Marinette turned the volume down and looked to Alya as they waited at a particularly busy intersection.

"I've been meaning to give you this-", Marinette reached between her legs, removing her purse and holding out the three hundred dollars, "-Adrien Agreste isn't playing Chat Noir, nobody is yet. Way to get my hopes up." Mari scoffed, extending the money to Alya.

The moment the words left her mouth, Marinette felt a strange pit form in her stomach. _'How pathetic can I be?'_ To feel this way over a celebrity crush from her teenage years. She had never felt more silly and sternly scolded herself internally. She wasn't a dumb kid anymore, she should be having real relationships with real people and not fantasising about unachievable and unhealthy faux relationships with celebrities.   
But the pit lingered anyway.

"Marinette you know how I'm _**incredible**_ at my job?"

"Nobody else refills empty coffee mugs quite like you, frankly Sarah's form is _disgusting_ , she always leaves drips-"

"I mean my real job? investigatory journalism, knowing everything about everyone, all day every day."

" ** _That's_** why your hair is so voluminous!" Marinette gasped in faux surprise.

"Yes Mari, its full of secrets, for example when one young and sleep deprived Marinette Dupain-Cheng accidentally called Nathanael 'dad' and he fainted-"

Marinette covered her ears. "Okay okay! _Please_ that's such an embarrassing story just continue with your twisted anecdote already." She groaned.

"Well, remember when I was trying to charm Nino's new boss into giving him the promotion, which he clearly deserved by the way." Alya asked, locking eyes with Marinette through her rear vision mirror.

"Was this at the company Christmas party where you got Nino's boss so outrageously drunk that he cried on your shoulder?" Marinette quirked a brow upwards.

" _Bingo_. Well once Charles was done recounting his crushed boyhood dreams of being an Olympic swimmer, he said something which _intrigued_ me. He started talking about a project they had been hired to work on, a movie-", Alya drifted off, "do I go right or left here?"

"Left-", Marinette answered, "the Miraculous movie?"

"Right on the money. When they announced the movie officially, the time frame seemed to line up, so I started digging around", Alya tossed her hair behind her shoulder, "And found absolutely nothing for a solid few months.", Alya began, "but a few days ago I realised that Nino's new promotion? It allowed him access to a more secretive level of the companies records-"

"Alya you **didn't** -"

"I did! And what I found was a connection to a modelling company, which I googled- _and it didn't exist_ ", Alya pointed a finger at Marinette, who nodded in response, "But another name popped up, some dude that apparently worked the financials for this mock model agency. He, unlike the agency itself, was real."

Marinette, enthralled by the story, raised a brow and nodded her head, prompting Alya to continue her spiel.

"According to google, this dude works the financial for a lot of companies. Every single one of them owned by Adrien Agreste. So I searched this fake modelling company under Gabriel Agreste's trademark claims, and it's just a pseudonym for a company called 'Agreste Prestige Luxury Modelling', which only has a singular employee..."

Alya smirked proudly, pulling into the curb outside Genevieve's office, before crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Adrien motherfuckin Agreste"

Marinette studied Alya's face quizzically. After a few silent moments of eye contact, Marinette broke into laughter. Climbing out of Alya's car, she bent down to poke her head back in.

"You're out of your mind", she laughed, tossing the bills into Alya's passenger seat and closing the door, hurrying into the office before Alya could chase her down.

* * *

 

The office was buzzing, there was so much electricity in the air that Marinette feared the globes on all the light fixtures were about to overheat and blow up.

_(They didn't.)_

Marinette placed her bag on her desk, looking over her shoulder and down the hallway. Several designers, models and even assistants huddled quietly outside Genevieve's door, she was pretty sure the receptionist had a cup to the door.

"What's going on?" She asked another designer, a tall girl with long auburn hair and big eyes. She shrugged, swivelling her chair to face the crowd, then back to Marinette.

"Some hotshot model and his flashy lawyer. Honestly these ladies need some serious _satisfaction_ if they're getting this worked up over a mere glimpse of a model." The girl smirked, before rolling her chair back behind her desk.

Marinette chuckled in agreement, shaking her head as she sat. With her sketchbook splayed open in front of her, she began to quietly work, trying her best to ignore what has happening a few feet away.

"Mari!"

Marinette's head snapped to attention, turning towards Genevieve's office. She felt a thousand eyes on her as Genevieve poked her head outside the office door.

"Mari _darling_ , will you please give me a hand?", Genevieve's voice floated down the hall carried by the newly familiar mix of incense and expensive perfume that Marinette had come to associate with the woman.

Nodding quickly she stood, sticking her pencil into her messy bun and attempting to walk down the hallway without falling while a thousand girls burnt holes into her skull with jealousy. Whoever this model is, he must be _damn_ important.

When she reached the door Genevieve ushered her in, closing it behind them promptly, placing a comforting hand on Marinette's lower back.

Marinette gathered her courage, took a deep breath and turned to face whoever was seated in the chair across from Genevieve's desk.

"Adrien motherfuckin Agreste?!"

_With one shocked gasp she had successfully inserted her entire foot into her mouth._

Clamping a hand over her mouth, she flushed from head to toe, frantically turning to Genevieve and back to Adrien, apologising profusely.

Bemused by the situation, he smiled, wide and bright and beautiful and _holy fuck Adrien Agreste was in her bosses office and he was smiling at her._

* * *

 

The lightbulbs may not have exploded, but Marinette fully believed that she very well may spontaneously combust at any given second. Her stomach lurched with an entire acrobatic floor routine and her heart was about to fall out her ass. Next to her sat the man she had vowed to one day wed since she was 7 years old, and in front of her her boss fought with his lawyer through gritted teeth.

"Pascal this is the fourth time! My time is extremely valuable and I will no longer tolerate this unprofessionalism", Genevieve tucked a stray hair behind her ear, drawing a breath to calm herself, "so we work under my conditions, unless you would rather explain to big boss why these designs are so overdue, **_and_**  not finalised?"

The lawyer, a stout man with a handlebar moustache and bushy eyebrows, finally sighed. "Fine, but if someone loses their head over this, it's gonna be you." Pascal scoffed.

Genevieve smiled as she sat. "Marinette I need you to fill in and model some concept pieces for a film costume, along with Adrien here-"

"I'm gonna do **_what_** now?" Marinette all but fainted as she half leaped from the chair, before realising what she had done and awkwardly sat herself back down.

"Genevieve... she is your choice for a high-profile, _extremely_ secretive project? Have you lost your mind?!" Pascal pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.

Marinette felt his words prick at her skin, lowering her head slightly.

"Enough Pascal." The first words he had spoken since she had arrived, every hair on Mari's body stood at attention as Adrien's small but firm voice filled the room.

From his seat Adrien cast a glance at his lawyer disapprovingly. His eyes steely and slightly glazed. Marinette glanced at him, and for the first time she noticed the dark bags under his eyes, a tiny chip in one of his teeth, a small scar on his upper temple. For the first time, he seemed real, like a person.

"Adrien this is hardly your place-" Pascal began, almost condescendingly, as he looked towards the younger man.

"Pascal I said _enough_." Adriens voice was louder now, still firm, now slightly rough.

The sound took Marinette aback. She had spent hours of her life watching him speak, in movies and interviews and this was just so different. It was raw, now deeper with maturity, and sad. It nagged at her from below the surface of his voice, something sad and hidden, something covered in pain and scars.

She knew that sadness.

"Marinette is the correct height and has a very similar physique, she is my best shot at creating a piece that will fit correctly. And guess what Pascal, she is _actually_ here, unlike your no-show client. I respect her work, I trust her." Genevieve dismissed the man with a glare.

Perching her glasses atop her head, Genevieve stood.

"Well... let's get to it then!"

* * *

 

There were few things more intimidating than being the worlds most awkward amateur model, standing directly beside a world famous supermodel, who also happened to be her childhood crush. Not that she could currently think of anyway.

Needless to say, Marinette didn't think her modelling career was taking off anytime soon. The shoot was a disaster. She was awkward and lanky and jumpy and had no idea how to pose. Long story short, she looked a _hot mess_.

Eventually Genevieve, frustratedly, called for lunch. Once Pascal ushered Adrien away, smirking smugly the whole while, Genevieve gathered Marinette in her arms.

"Darling you must relax, trust me. You look absolutely fine."

"I look like an idiot!" Marinette cried, throwing her head into her hands with a groan. "Pascal is right, I'm not cut out for this, I'm making the garment look like trash."

Genevieve held Marinette at arms length for a moment before slapping her gently across the cheek, the sound echoed through the silent room. Marinette gaped, looking at Genevieve in surprise.

"Get a hold of yourself Marinette. I will do many things, but accept that that slimy mole Pascal was correct is not one of them." Genevieve stated, walking quickly to the phone mounted on the wall.

A flurry of activity ensued, workers rushed in and out, her hair was changed and now sat in two fluffy, messy pigtails, a creamy red lipstick made her lips feel plump and sexy, and smokey liner applied to her eyes made them dark and smouldering.

Why did she always look like a raccoon when she did it herself?

Sure she looked great, but she still found herself tense and shy, unable to relax in the presence of a camera and her boss. Genevieve just smiled, looked at Marinette with kind eyes.

"What is your favourite song dear?"

Marinette's eyes lit up.

* * *

 

Beside him Pascal jabbered endlessly, despite being full of food, the mans mouth never stopped, even when his opinions were not wanted or needed. Adrien had long figured out that his father only hired complete assholes, he was at peace with the fact.

Right now he just wanted to get away from Pascal's incessant speaking.

"I left my phone in the photo studio, I'm going to run back and grab it." Adrien cut directly through Pascal's sentence, standing abruptly and turning away.

"I can come with you-" Pascal began to stand.

" _No_! I mean, i'm good, it's really not that far. You just keep on making love to that sandwich big guy". Adrien promptly spun on his heel, leaving Pascal on his own as he walked through the warm corridors of the building.

This was a strange day. His first shoot in 5 years and it was fucking amateur hour. He sighed, there was no way he cold possibly be mad, it wasn't the girl or the designers fault that the right person didn't show up and they had to improvise.   
Besides, the girl they had filling in may be hopeless as a model, but she was kind and sweet and seemed genuine. Genuine people were very hard to find in Adriens life.   
So he didn't mind giving her advice while they worked, telling her her to stand or which leg to bend. She was pretty cute too, he perhaps wouldn't mind helping her bend her legs over his shoulders-

_'In my life~'_

Adrien stalled in front of the doors, hand perched on the handle, his entire body frozen.

Is that Les Mis?  
He _loved_ Les Mis.

Peeking through the small glass window on the door, Adrien watched as the girl, what did they say her name was- Marinette? Pretty sure it was Marinette, sung along happily to Cosette's part, a smile plastered on her face, she posed effortlessly.

Maybe she wasn't hopeless after all.

_And he definitely would not mind bending her legs over his shoulders and pounding into her-_

He swung the door open with a grin, Marinette jumped out of her skin, her face flushing red immediately.

"Mind if I jump in?"

* * *

 

The music helped her, a lot, and after an extremely dramatic rendition of 'Popular', in which he fulfilled his dream of taking his rightful place as Glinda the good witch, Adrien found himself laughing so hard that tears prickled his eyes.

Marinette was running entirely on adrenaline, every inch of her body was on fire, every time he touched her arm, or shoulder, or anything, she felt as though she was burning inside and out.

So much for _just_ a schoolgirl crush.

"Ok darlings, get changed, we only need a few more shots and we are officially finito!" Genevieve called, inspecting the images she had taken as they appeared on her laptop screen.

Marinette closed the door behind her, leaning back against it as she collected her breath. It felt as though her heart was going to burst out of her chest at any given moment, and as she picked the final hangar up and inspected the costume, she swore up and down that her heart crawled out of her throat and onto the floor.

Spandex. _Thin, tight spandex_. Sure Marinette worked out when she could, but not enough to wear spandex and certainly not enough to stand next to a supermodel who was probably also wearing spandex.   
A very attractive supermodel wearing spandex.

After a few minutes, Genevieve knocked gently on the door.

"Coming! I'm coming right now." Marinette called, gathering the last remaining shreds of her courage and opening the door tentatively.

Genevieve smiled widely, adjusting her sleeve slightly before nodding. "God, you look fantastic!" She groaned, winking playfully at Marinette.

Adrien was already in the centre of the room, his muscular body encased in the tight leathery spandex, Marinette genuinely thought she was about to have an aneurism just looking at how fucking good he looked.

_'you make it look like it's magic~'_

Adrien turned, smirk falling from his face and eyes widening as Marinette stepped back into the room, the tight red spandex showed every curve of her body, her small, perky breasts, the curve of her small waist, her round ass. Adrien hadn't realised, but _god damn_ , she was fucking stunning.

Adrien quickly looked away, he couldn't keep looking at her, not while his spandex pants meant that _everything_ was on display.

Throughout the next half hour, Adrien managed to keep his composure, that was up until she pressed her ass up against him.

Instinctively he placed a hand on her waist, looking down at her, his green eyes dark and his pupils dilated.

She looked back and up at him with a matching gaze, and for a split second Adrien had to restrain himself from grabbing her and taking her right here.

"That's it! That's the one!"

Genevieve's voice sent shockwaves through both Marinette and Adrien, who had completely forgotten about hers and Pascal's presences in the room. The two jumped apart, staring awkwardly at each other for a moment.

Adrien reached out his hand, she took it. "It was great working with you Marinette I gotta go-", Adrien blurted, frantically shaking her hand before retreating into his dressing room.

_What the hell was that?!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> might have to bump this shit up to explicit hell yeah
> 
> send me nice messages   
> Tumblr: @Metalbendrs


	4. The lightweight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette teases, Adrien rekindles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ohoho I wonder why this fic is explicit now???  
> (shameless porn ahead) ;)

"Alyyyaaaa", Marinette groaned, flopping into the booth seat. Alya rolled her eyes, spraying down the table, her lips twisted downwards into a tight frown.

"I don't understand what is so important that you can't tell me Mari, we tell each other everything! Do you not trust me?" Alya turned, cocking a hip and resting her hand on it, her perfectly arched brow raised slightly.

"Alya I just can't- not here!" Marinette clambered upwards, lips pursed in an obnoxious pout.

Alya snorted. "Fine, but you have to tell me later, and you also have to get out of this booth before Francois comes over here and kicks my ass", Alya deadpanned, shooing Marinette from the seat. "I'll see you in a few hours okay?" She looked over her shoulder, a small lopsided smile pulled at her cheeks.

Marinette nodded, returning the smile. She felt bad about not being able to tell Alya what had happened, she knew Alya was just excited for her and wanted to know more. But how the hell was she meant to tell Alya that " _oh hey surprise our company is making the costumes for Miraculous and Adrien Agreste was there and I met him and felt his half hard dick on my ass, no big deal you just can't tell anyone or I'll never work in fashion ever again."_

'Speaking of which-' Marinette absentmindedly pulled her phone from her pocket.

_**Reminders  
\- [ ] Thank Genevieve** _

The apartment was cold when Marinette entered, Nino was out working on a project and wouldn't be home for god knows how long, and Alya had taken on some overtime for spare cash. Case in point, Marinette was alone for a little while, and she was bored.

Her bare feet padded against the cool tiles as she made her way to the kitchen, when she stopped, she placed her feet against her calf one at a time in attempts to keep them warm. Inside Nino and Alya's fridge was mainly old take-out and organic vegetables that nobody liked, and a few bottles of wine.

For a second Marinette found herself looking back to the wine, one glass wouldn't hurt, _she deserved it._

Slamming the fridge shut, Marinette took a step backwards, clutching her arm to her chest as she backed herself up against a wall. The room felt dark and cold and so small for a moment there. Her stomach turned and her eyes darted up to the left, right above the fridge, it was the only cupboard in the entire apartment with a small, brassy, hanging padlock.

Marinette didn't want to think about that cupboard, or it's padlock, or its contents. It made her feel sick.

Tears pricked the corner of Marinette's eyes, every time she tried to frantically blink them away they came back. Pulling herself from the corner of the room, Marinette forced herself to walk away, walking as fast as her legs would carry her towards her room, where she collapsed onto her bed, breathing hard and slow.

Calm down, you're fine, it's all okay, you've got this.

These thoughts always sounded like Alya's voice, no matter how many times she thought them, it was always Alya's voice on that night. Low and sad, she sounded like her mama. Even so long after, she could feel Alya's hands in her hair, the cold tile on her legs, the music thumping through the ground.

They were 18, ready to take on the world. Her friends Alix and Kim had rented a house just outside the city, every Saturday night they would gather in Alix and Kim's backyard, singing bad karaoke and getting drunk out of their minds.

Marinette was a lightweight. At first it was funny, when Marinette would drink the least every time, and still manage to be drunkest. But then Alya would catch her taking sips before work, or in the middle of the night, or when they were out for dinner.   
She drank most nights. Nino would come over and join her on the couch sometimes, a beer in his hand. As time went on it happened less frequent. Alya never care with him.

Alya moved out right after Marinette had turned 19. Mari didn't mind, she spent most of her time alone anyway. By now she was drunk all the time, it was the many hangover induced sleep ins that began to cause issues with her work.

And When she showed up plastered to the Office Party, _she lost her job._

Alix and Kim were ending the lease, moving back to the city into adult jobs. They hadn't had a party in months. They promised to hold one last farewell to the house they had loved so much. And indeed they did.

Marinette was drunk, but so was everyone else, even Nathanael got his drink on, a rare occurrence. And she just kept drinking, she just kept going, she couldn't stop.   
And then there she was, on the bathroom floor, Alya's arms wrapped around her while she cried and threw up.

That night she promised Alya she would get better. And she really had, she had a couple glasses of wine every few months, she never craved it anymore. She was fine. She was happy.

Some days it still hurt, remembering that she had gotten so bad, so quickly. Some days she still locked herself in her room and sobbed. But those days were few and far between, and the more she didn't fear them, the less they happened.

Her breathing calmed. She was alright.

With a huff Marinette reached beneath her bed, laying her head against her pillows. She pressed the button of the machine in her hand, its gentle humming filled the quiet room. Closing her eyes, Marinette felt the tension of the day fall away from her as the vibrator softly caressed past her nipple, down her stomach and she held it shakily against her clothed pussy.

As she pulled aside her panties and pressed the vibrator slowly and gently against her clit, she found herself pretending that it was Adrien Agreste, moaning softly at the memory of his dick against her ass.

This was getting a bit out of control.

* * *

 

Adrien bit his lip, hair glued to his forehead with sweat. The hotel bed sheets gripped in one hand, knuckles white, the other fisting his cock desperately. Laid out on the bed in front of him his laptop played a porno on max volume. With a groan he leant forward, stopping the video and collapsing onto his back. Why was the only thing getting him off right now imagining fucking that Marinette girl. Hand wrapped softly around his aching dick, he thought of her.

He thought of bending her over, taking her in the shower, on the floor, of eating her out until she shook and begged for more. He hadn't gotten himself this pent up over a random girl since he was a horny teenager. But here he was, stroking himself to the thought of her in that tight red costume, moaning and turned to jelly under his control.

He came with a grunt, spilling onto his chest and stomach. Breathing heavily he let his body relax, sinking into the soft sheets and pillow behind him. He felt like a pervert, cumming to the thought of doing dirty things to that poor girl, she was sweet and she definitely didn't deserve this.   
God he couldn't even jack off now without feeling guilty, what was wrong with him?!

A knock at the door sent him into hyperdrive, frantically wiping himself down with tissues he grabbed by the handful. Slamming his laptop closed, he leapt from his bed, breathless at the sudden exertion.

"I'm coming!" Well, _he already had._

Pulling on a pair of grey sweatpants Adrien walked quickly from his bedroom to the front door of the large penthouse. His father had spared no expense, the finest room in the finest hotel in the city. It was beautiful and cold and empty.

Without a second though he pulled open the doors, shirtless, his face still flushed and his hair wild.

" _Adrikins_!" Chloe's shrill voice cut through the last shreds of his orgasm, his smile dropping. She didn't notice, instead wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, kissing him lightly on the cheek.

He had met Chloe a few times, their fathers were friends, he would see her whenever he was visiting Paris as a teen while working in America. Her father even paid for her to fly out in a private jet to LA when they were 15. The press just loved that. Chloe was the only thing that somewhat resembled a friend, and he appreciated her, despite her infatuation. And frankly she was fucking annoying. But she was consistent, and that's what he admired about her.

"Chloe! You didn't show up for the fitting today", the fitting where he met Marinette, and her cute big blue eyes and her round ass- "where were you?" Adrien asked, frantically trying to distract his mind from the thought of Marinette's ass, she was a nobody, he couldn't let himself get this wound up about someone like her.   
Maybe he just really needed to get laid.

"Baby you know I had much better places to be, people to meet, lives to ruin-", Chloe made herself at home, sitting upon the large couch, golden legs crossed over one another, ( _Jesus did she even highlight her fucking knees?_ ). "-you know, just a normal day. I'll just send them the measurements, we **all** know I'll look good in whatever they give me."

Chloe was past confident, she was just plain cocky. She was hot shit, and she knew it. Discredit her all you'd like, but even Adrien knew she was smarter than she let on. She booked her own shows, managed her own funds, did her own paperwork. Chloe knew what she was worth, and she was unapologetic in achieving and receiving what she deserved. All around she was an unpleasant person, but she was ambitious, and Adrien could respect that.

"I know you think this diva attitude will help you climb the ever-expanding ladder of stardom, but you're going overboard. Soon you'll be less of a Whitney and more of a _Mariah_ ", Adrien shook his head, pacing around the kitchen, opening the fridge out of sheer boredom, hoping Chloe would take the hint and you know, leave.

Chloe gasped loudly, and knowing her, and all of her over dramatic mannerisms, Adrien fully believed that she was not exaggerating. He turned to face her, leaning against the wall nonchalantly.

Chloe's held a hand over her heart, genuinely wounded by Adrien's comment. "I am not a Mariah! Look at me, I'm **A)** Younger **B)** Sexier and **C)** probably a better singer." Chloe flicked her hair over her shoulder with a smirk.

Adrien deadpanned, "you _will_ get fired eventually, you can't keep pulling no-shows, it looks bad for both of us". Walking over, he took a seat on the couch next to her. "Please at least make an effort Chloe." Despite her insufferableness, he didn't want Chloe to ruin a career she had spent so long building, especially not because of a shitty diva attitude.

"Fine!", Chloe rolled her eyes, "I _promise_ to make an effort." She smiled at him, gently placing her hand on his knee.

Adrien looked at her hand, then met Chloe's gaze, it was low and dark.

_Fuck, not again._

She reached into the bra of her tight fitting dress, pulling out a small plastic bag full of powder, with a smirk she dangled it in front of his eyes, running her hand up his thigh slowly.

Adrien bit his lip in frustration. "Chloe, you know I don't- you know I've stopped... doing that." He screwed his eyes shut, leaning back against the couch, away from Chloe and her damn stupid drugs. All the while he was hyper aware of her hand, slowly trailing circles up and down his thigh, dangerously close to his cock.

The first time they had sex they were 15, when she had come out to LA on her private jet. It was weird and awkward and unsatisfactory for both of them. But since then they'd been on and off, fucking whenever they were in the same cities, high out of their minds most of the time. He didn't love her, he couldn't. He wished he could, life would be so much easier if he had just fallen for Chloe like he was supposed too.

They had last fucked almost a year ago, she had just been dumped, he was grappling with withdrawals. It was quick and messy and rough. He had pulled her hair, wrapped his fingers around her neck, and fucked her raw. She loved it, but he _never_ wanted to be that desperate again.

_But here they were._

"Fuck it", he whispered, wrapping his hand around her wrist and sliding it into the front of his sweatpants. Chloe wrapped her long fingers around his cock, slowly pumping him up and down, her eyes locked onto his as she tugged on his half hard dick.

Pulling his sweatpants down to his knees, not bothering to pull them off fully, he grabbed her high ponytail in one hand, her soft blonde hair wrapped tightly around his knuckles. He guided her mouth towards his crotch, and she happily obliged, slowly tracing a line from the seam of his ballsack up the length of his shaft, flicking her tongue under the head.

When she finally took his cock into her mouth, Adrien sighed, leaning his head back against the couch, one hand resting in Chloe's hair. He closed his eyes, enjoying Chloe's skilled tongue as it glided against his semi hard cock, but the idea of Marinette in this very position wormed its way back in to his mind. The thought sent blood rushing to his dick.

As he pushed Chloe's head up and down on his cock, the thought never left his mind.

He was completely and utterly _fucked_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've never written nsfw before lmao, I probably won't write a LOT, but hopefully there will be a healthy dosage. As long as I actuallly learn how to write sin.   
> I'm learning okay.   
> Thank you for all the support, the comments really are what push me to do what I enjoy and keep writing.

**Author's Note:**

> #FuckFrancoisTheDayManager
> 
> Enjoy bbys
> 
> Contact me!!!  
> Tumblr: @Metalbendrs


End file.
